Trap.



L. A. GRAIN.

TRAP.

APPLICATION M1151) 11111113.1912.

Lgggg Patented F6114, 1913.

Gtorn 111 FCE.

LESTER A. GRAIN, 0F WEBSTER, SOUTH DAKOTA.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

Application led August 13, 1912. Serial No. 714,890.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. LESTER A. CRAlN, a citizen of the United States, residing at iVebster, in the county of Day and State of South Dakota. have invented new and use'- ful Improvements in Traps, of which the following is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide a trap for catching gophers and other ground burrowing animals.

The invention embodies, among other features, a casing having an open end which is placed adjagjent to the gopher hole. or arranged to cover the hole, suitable springactuated meansl being provided which, when released, will close the open end of the casing, thus trapping the gopher therein.

In the further disclosure otl the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification` in which similar characters of reterence denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewl of the device. showing the trap set.; Fig. 2 isa vertical longitudinal sectional view, thertrap being shown set in full lines and in final or closed position in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional v iew taken on the line 3--3 in Fig'. 1; and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken o n the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

.Referring more particularly to the views,

use is made of a casing 10 having an open` ing 1l formed in the rear end thereof, the frontend 12 of the casing being open and adapted to cover the gopher hole when the casing is mounted in position to catch the animal. A rod 13 is arranged to extend transversely through the casing adjacent the lower edges thereof and adjacent. the front end, and mounted to swing thereon is a closure 14 which, When in open or set position, forms a portion of the bottom ot' the casing, the remainder of the bottom of the casing being formed by stretching wires 15 longitudinally and transversely across the lower edges of the sides of the casing. as shown. Guideways 16 are formed on the inner faces of the sides of the casing,v and n iounted to slide therein is a U-shaped stirrup 17 having the lower extremities thereoic bent laterally inward to engage the under side of the closure l-t at a distance Jfrom the point of pivotal connection of the closure with the casing 10.

l Mounted on the upper side of the top of the casing 10 is an expansible spring 18 interposed between the upper face ot the casing and the cross bar of the U-shaped stirrnp 17 when'the trap is in set position, an eyelet 19 beinv secured in the top side ot' the casing 10 and iaving pivotally connected thereto a bar :20,.the free end of which is bent laterally for removable connection with a trigger ll niounted to swing adjacent the rear end of the casing, the lower end ol' the trigger being arranged to depend within the casing and bent in a rectangular forni as shown, so that when the gopher passes into the casing and n'ioves toi'ard the opening 11 therein it will be necessary for the gophertoengage the trigger 21 in order to reach the opening l1, it being understood that animals such as gopher-s naturally endeavor to reach openings in the mounds that they form for the purpose of closing the same. .t retaining member 22. preferably consisting of-an eyelet or the like is screwed into the upper side of the casing adjacent the trigger Q1 for the purpose of securing the bar 20 in inoperative position when it is not desired to use the trap.

In the use ot the trap, the casing 1() .is placed on the ground with the open end thereof covering the hole previously made in the mound ot' the, gopher. By pressing downwardlyon the U-shaped stirrup 17 and against the action ot' the spring 18, the lower ends of the. stirrup will move to a position adjacent the bottom of the casing, thus into horizontal position. the laterally bent. ends of the stirrup beingarranged to engage the under side of the closure, as mentioned heretofore. The bar Q0 is now arranged to pass over the U-shaped stirrup 17 and the free end of the bar is engaged with the trigger 21, it being thus seen that the bar when arranged as shown will retain the stirrup 17 in lowered position and hold the same against the expansible action of the spring 1S. Now when the gopher passes into the casing through thc open front end thereof and endeavors to reach the opening 1l, the gopher will engage the depending cud ot' the trigger 2l, thus actuating the saine sutliciently to disengage the bar 20 theret'ron'i and at the moment the bar is released, the action of the spring 18 will move the stirrup member upwardly, thus carrying causing the closure l-'l to gravitationally fallA the closure 1-1 to closed position to close the front end ofthe casing, the gopher being the said casing, a U-shaped stiriup member thus locked or trapped Wit-hin the casing. mounted to slide on the said guideways and As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when engaging the said closure, a spring engagit is not desired to use the trap, the free end l ing the said stirrup to move the same 11p of the bar 20 can be engaged with the rewardly and swing the said closure into taining member 22, thus preventing the trap i closed position, 'a triggermounted on the from operatin While at the same time the said casing, and n bar mounted to swing on closure 14 wil be in set position, it being the casing and extending across the said simply necessary to disengage the bar 20 t st-rrup to engage the said trigger and retain 'from the retaining.' member '22 and move the l the stirrup in lowered or set position. Same a slight distance to one side and into `In testimony whereof I aiix in v signature elllgagelnent with the trigger 21 in orderto i in presence of two witnesses. p ace t e trap inset position. A v lHaving thus described my invention, I LIM-.ihk A GRAD' c :um: In a trap, the combination with a casing, of a closure therefor, guideways formed on 1 Witnesses ANDnm B. GABY, GEO. C. DUNToN. 

